The present invention relates to a virtual surgery system in which a surgical procedure may be simulated using image data of a patient and devices simulating the physical instruments a surgeon would use in performing the actual surgical procedure.
Various prior art training devices and devices used in surgical applications are described as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,270 issued on Sep. 22, 1992 to McKeown discloses an apparatus for practicing surgical endoscopic procedures. The McKeown patent relates to simulators that incorporate features to simulate visual and manipulation surgical conditions for training surgeons in surgical procedures such as laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. The apparatus has a cavity in which an object simulating a human organ is mounted for performing the practice procedure. The cavity is closeable to outside view or access, thus forcing the individual to use and manipulate the instruments under conditions that mimic real life operating and diagnostic conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,270 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,973 issued on Mar. 13, 1990 to Hon discloses a medical investigative system in which a person interacts with the system to interject information that is utilized by the system to establish non-restricted environmental modeling of the realities of surrogate conditions to be encountered with invasive or semi-invasive procedures. This is accomplished by video display of simulated internal conditions that appear life-like, as well as by display of monitor data including, for example, blood pressure, respiration, heart beat rate and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,973 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,038 issued on Dec. 28, 1993 to Beavin discloses a computer system receiving two dimensional slice data of a heart or other organ to be simulated in three dimensions. This three dimensional image data and chemical composition data of the heart or other organ are stored in the computer memory. Then a Voxel View or three dimensional volume rendering program forms images of the organ to be studied. Diagnostic data obtained from a patient with electrical measurement signals including an electro-cardiogram, electro-myogram, electro-encephalogram, and other diagnostic measured electrical signals obtained from a patient are fed into the system and are placed in computer memory. Physiological data of the patient, including the strength, weakness, and other parameters of the organ is also considered diagnostic data and is supplied into the system. This data may be fed in black and white or in color to a device which shows the organ for visualization, operation simulation, or training. U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,038 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,499 issued on Jun. 29, 1993 to Allen et al. discloses a fiducial implant for the human body that is detectable by an imaging system. The placement of the fiducial implant into a portion of the anatomy of the human body allows for the recreation of a particular image slice of the portion of the anatomy taken by an imaging system with respect to a first time period, at subsequent imaging sessions and also with different scan modalities. This provides a doctor with the ability to accurately follow the progress of the portion of the anatomy of interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,474 issued on Jan. 31, 1995 to Brindle discloses a method for simulating anesthesiology and operating room conditions including the following six steps: displaying initial patient simulated vital sign information from a memory to signify an initial patient condition; randomly modifying the displayed patient vital sign information according to a script matrix in a manner analogous to that in which a patient's vital signs would be effected in the operating room by drugs or other external effects, thereby indicating a deteriorating condition; displaying user options; evaluating the timeliness and appropriateness of user input selections from the options in response to the changes in patient vital sign information to improve its initial state or deteriorate to a critical state in accordance with the successive script blocks in the script matrix depending upon the user's response and timeliness.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,404 issued on Nov. 16, 1993 to Mick et al. discloses a three-dimensional mammal anatomy imaging system and method which provide images of the internal anatomy of a mammal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,404 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,422 issued on May 10, 1994 to Loftin et al. discloses a training system for use in a wide variety of training tasks and environments. Artificial intelligence is used to provide computer-aided training.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,871 issued on Sep. 6, 1994 to Bittman et al. discloses a method and apparatus for mediating a biofeedback session with a human subject in which measurements of electrophysiological quantities are used to control a presentation to the subject of a series of prestored audiovisual sequences designed to induce a desired psychological state when viewed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,794 issued on Jul. 14, 1992 to Ritchey discloses a panoramic image based virtual reality display system.